Mexico pays Sony to modify script

hemmerich25

Hi, greetings

I write this to show my frustration as a mexican citizen as a bond fan. It recently was announced a mexican actress to join the Spectre cast. This is what happened.

A few hours ago it´s been spreading over the internet news that mexican goverment payed Sony 14 md to include this actress and to modify the script to avoid making reference to the violence in the country. The original plot included the murder of the mayor of the capital city by the Sciara´s character, that also was requested no to be mexican.

http://m.aristeguinoticias.com/1103/kiosko/hasta-el-agente-007-recibe-mordida-en-mexico/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=hasta-el-agente-007-recibe-mordida-en-mexico

Let me explain, the situation in mexico is pretty similar to LTK, corruption everywhere and even the dummy president, the goverment is ruled by real murderers capable of everything to keep apprearences for their interests.

What makes me more angry is that Sony Pictures accepted this conditions for this kind of money, are the really selling themselves and the best selling movie franchise ever???

I would suggest to start a change campaign or something for bondfans to show our disagreement and to demand the movie to be done as the original script. What to you think? please comment if you care.

SFPROPS

I'm guessing this is bogus.

Locales give tax breaks and incentives to film companies all the time in order to lure them into filming there to take advantage of the jobs it brings and the invaluable advertising for tourism dollars. The story line for SPECTRE fits great with a Mexican locale given what else is supposed to be going on at the same time. I doubt that whatever incentives they were given had little to do with changing the script to make Mexico look good, but rather encouraging the film company to pick Mexico in the first place.

Jag

Here's some more news:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/12/mexico-james-bond-film-spectre-tax-incentives

The Domino Effect

Although this supposedly came from Sony hacks, it doesn't all ring true to me. As SFPRPOPS said, tax breaks are very common in movie production. In fact, they are so widespread that they are often part and parcel of any location shoot on any movie anywhere. Countries that won't play ball get very few productions. However, it is other aspects of the story that trouble me more and I can't help but wonder if Mexican requests/suggestions have been confused with demands.

Sciarra is an Italian name. While Italian names pop up in some Latin American countries like Argentina, they are far less common in Mexico. Given that the story moves from Mexico to Italy that suggests that the character was Italian - or at least had Italian connections - all along.

The Mexican demand for a Mexican Bond girl played by a Mexican actress is possible but a likely unnecessary demand in that Bond tends to sample the local flavour pretty much wherever he goes and given that there's no shortage of attractive Mexican actresses (Salma Hayek being arguably the most famous), casting a Mexican to play a Mexican wouldn't be difficult.

I can certainly see Mexico making suggestions to EON - ie: why don't you shoot during the Day of the Dead celebrations - but a suggestion isn't a demand. I could see Mexico demanding that Spectre not make Mexico look bad, I am sure lots of countries have made similar stipulations, but I can't imagine that they re-wrote major parts of the later storyline just to make a PTS in Mexico work. I'm sure Panama and other Latin American cities would have welcomed Bond back with open arms and open wallets and would easily have worked as a stand-in for Mexico if Mexico made any impossible demands. It's not like EON were being held hostage by a world famous landmark like the Eiffel Tower.

Just my thoughts and certainly not based on any inside information, but it sounds like some people are adding one plus one and getting three.

Matt S

The Domino Effect wrote:

Although this supposedly came from Sony hacks, it doesn't all ring true to me. As SFPRPOPS said, tax breaks are very common in movie production. In fact, they are so widespread that they are often part and parcel of any location shoot on any movie anywhere. Countries that won't play ball get very few productions. However, it is other aspects of the story that trouble me more and I can't help but wonder if Mexican requests/suggestions have been confused with demands.

Sciarra is an Italian name. While Italian names pop up in some Latin American countries like Argentina, they are far less common in Mexico. Given that the story moves from Mexico to Italy that suggests that the character was Italian - or at least had Italian connections - all along.

The Mexican demand for a Mexican Bond girl played by a Mexican actress is possible but a likely unnecessary demand in that Bond tends to sample the local flavour pretty much wherever he goes and given that there's no shortage of attractive Mexican actresses (Salma Hayek being arguably the most famous), casting a Mexican to play a Mexican wouldn't be difficult.

I can certainly see Mexico making suggestions to EON - ie: why don't you shoot during the Day of the Dead celebrations - but a suggestion isn't a demand. I could see Mexico demanding that Spectre not make Mexico look bad, I am sure lots of countries have made similar stipulations, but I can't imagine that they re-wrote major parts of the later storyline just to make a PTS in Mexico work. I'm sure Panama and other Latin American cities would have welcomed Bond back with open arms and open wallets and would easily have worked as a stand-in for Mexico if Mexico made any impossible demands. It's not like EON were being held hostage by a world famous landmark like the Eiffel Tower.

Just my thoughts and certainly not based on any inside information, but it sounds like some people are adding one plus one and getting three.

This makes sense. These kinds of stories are always exaggerated. If they really wanted to make Mexico look bad they could just have easily filmed it somewhere else. If they could get away with filming in England for Cuba in Octopussy they could figure out something for Mexico.

Thunderpussy

I think many countries try and get films made in them. Ireland I think offers
Great tax advantages etc. Norway seems to be one of the few that doesn't
Seem interested in film makers ( according to Number24) It's bound to help
Tourism so should be good for the country ?

AlphaOmegaSin

I can't think of the last Film that was filmed in Norway.

Thunderpussy

I think The Heroes of Telemark, was filmed there, and that's about it.
Although I'm sure Number24 can give us a list of films shot there.
As for Mexico, I know it has its problems, political and otherwise but having
A major film there will help draw the attention of the media to the country.

SFPROPS

So if Sciarra wasn't Italian, but Mexican, why would Bond have needed to go to Italy later?

If he's in Mexico, why wouldn't there be a Latina "Bond Girl?"

If you're looking for a cool place for a location shoot, why wouldn't the "Day of the Dead" festival be a top idea?

Seems like a lot of story elements that would be obvious, and no need for "bribes" to make them.

ics

Sciarra is on a mission in Mexico.... the festival of the death....Think MR rio

SFPROPS wrote:

So if Sciarra wasn't Italian, but Mexican, why would Bond have needed to go to Italy later?

If he's in Mexico, why wouldn't there be a Latina "Bond Girl?"

If you're looking for a cool place for a location shoot, why wouldn't the "Day of the Dead" festival be a top idea?

Seems like a lot of story elements that would be obvious, and no need for "bribes" to make them.

Alex Edward

This is quite obvious, Spectre co-producer Michael G. Wilson also said that we received tax incentives everywhere we go to for the movie shooting. I have seen many websites making it an unnecessary big issue, saying that Mexico has offered Millions for casting Mexican Bond girl! It is a CRAP!

Number24

Thunderpussy wrote:

I think The Heroes of Telemark, was filmed there, and that's about it.
Although I'm sure Number24 can give us a list of films shot there.
As for Mexico, I know it has its problems, political and otherwise but having
A major film there will help draw the attention of the media to the country.

Here is the list of foreign productions partly filmed in Norway:

- The ice planet Hoth scenes in SW; The Emire Strikes Back
- Ex Machina (2014)
- Flight of the Navigator (19u86)
- Spies like us (1985)
- Eight Below (2006)
- Superman II (1980)
- The Witches (1990)
- Vikings (1958)
- Free Willy (1993)
- Revolution (1985)
- Heroes of Telemark (1965)

Sidenote: Stephanie Sigman, the Mexican Bond girl in SPECTRE, had a part in the 2013 Norwegian movie "Pioneer".

antiamadeus

I just wonder if something totally different is at play. If it's true that tax credits were extended to change the script in order to paint Mexico in a more favorable light, what if EON intended the changes all along?

When Hitchcock made PSYCHO I think he submitted a script to the censor's office that included loads of highly violent and bizarrely sexual content. The censor was flabbergasted and demanded tons of changes. Hitchcock made the great majority of them, the censor was placated, and Hitchcock ended up with the exact script he wanted to begin with. He had added patently objectionable material so he could improve his bargaining position.

What if Michael Wilson added to the shooting script material about drugs and guns and Bond's girl being non-Mexican? He gave this script to the Mexican authorities, and they offered more tax credits (yes, on top of the credit EON got for shooting there to start with) so that changes would be made to make Mexico look good.

This was one of the most expensive films in history. Wilson's law work in the '60s was primarily in taxes and corporations, if I remember. He could have thought up something like this to save the production a million or two. And--as a bonus--he can honestly say that Mexico didn't encourage them to make any changes in the script. He'd be speaking of the final shooting script, not the adjusted script given to Mexican authorities.

Matt S

antiamadeus wrote:

I just wonder if something totally different is at play. If it's true that tax credits were extended to change the script in order to paint Mexico in a more favorable light, what if EON intended the changes all along?

When Hitchcock made PSYCHO I think he submitted a script to the censor's office that included loads of highly violent and bizarrely sexual content. The censor was flabbergasted and demanded tons of changes. Hitchcock made the great majority of them, the censor was placated, and Hitchcock ended up with the exact script he wanted to begin with. He had added patently objectionable material so he could improve his bargaining position.

What if Michael Wilson added to the shooting script material about drugs and guns and Bond's girl being non-Mexican? He gave this script to the Mexican authorities, and they offered more tax credits (yes, on top of the credit EON got for shooting there to start with) so that changes would be made to make Mexico look good.

This was one of the most expensive films in history. Wilson's law work in the '60s was primarily in taxes and corporations, if I remember. He could have thought up something like this to save the production a million or two. And--as a bonus--he can honestly say that Mexico didn't encourage them to make any changes in the script. He'd be speaking of the final shooting script, not the adjusted script given to Mexican authorities.

That's possible. Mexico really didn't figure into the film at all. It was just a backdrop (albeit an effectively used backdrop). Even the girl was more of a backdrop than a character.

Sir Miles

antiamadeus wrote:

I just wonder if something totally different is at play. If it's true that tax credits were extended to change the script in order to paint Mexico in a more favorable light, what if EON intended the changes all along?

When Hitchcock made PSYCHO I think he submitted a script to the censor's office that included loads of highly violent and bizarrely sexual content. The censor was flabbergasted and demanded tons of changes. Hitchcock made the great majority of them, the censor was placated, and Hitchcock ended up with the exact script he wanted to begin with. He had added patently objectionable material so he could improve his bargaining position.

What if Michael Wilson added to the shooting script material about drugs and guns and Bond's girl being non-Mexican? He gave this script to the Mexican authorities, and they offered more tax credits (yes, on top of the credit EON got for shooting there to start with) so that changes would be made to make Mexico look good.

This was one of the most expensive films in history. Wilson's law work in the '60s was primarily in taxes and corporations, if I remember. He could have thought up something like this to save the production a million or two. And--as a bonus--he can honestly say that Mexico didn't encourage them to make any changes in the script. He'd be speaking of the final shooting script, not the adjusted script given to Mexican authorities.

Can't see that at all...but I guess you never know...but what IF they were allowed to film as planned ? You are stuck with something you really didn't want - or if they refused point blank and told them nothing would change their mind ? Too much of a gamble...

chrisisall

Small price to pay for a lack of bad press says I...

superado

I can understand the concern one may have depending on their political views within their own country. But to look at a government and how they manage their image is no different I think from how any organization in a movie choses how they are portrayed as it is with product placement. I don't know about "paying" but in terms of "allowing" productions to shoot it's typical for countries/cities to have sign-off privileges on how their locale is depicted. An interesting thing I read from the book, Bond by Design, the producers were not allowed to depict an actual structure in Venice for the sinking palazo segment in the end, which is obviously a restriction enforced in some form.